Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Sforno · Torah
Sforno on Genesis 17:16/ספורנו על בראשית י״ז:ט״ז
אוּבֵרַכְתִּיהָ. בַּהֵרָיוֹן וּבַלֵּידָה וּבְגִדּוּל הַבֵּן שֶׁלֹּא בְּצַעַר, הֵפֶךְ קִלְלַת חַוָּה בְּאָמְרוֹ "בְּעֶצֶב תֵּלְדִי בָּנִים" (בראשית ג:טז). וְאָמַר שֶׁשָּׂרָה תַּהַר, תּוֹלִיד וּתְגַדֵּל אֶת בְּנָהּ שֶׁלֹּא בְּצַעַר, כְּאָמְרָם "אֲשֶׁר פָּדָה אֶת אַבְרָהָם" (ישעיהו כט:כב) שֶׁפְּדָאוֹ מִצַּעַר גִּדּוּל בָּנִים.
1וברכתיה, both during her pregnancy, the act of giving birth, and in the raising of the son, all of these being painless. This is the exact reverse of the curse G'd decreed on Chavah and women in general, when He said בעצב תלדי בנים, "you will give birth to children in pain and sorrow." (Genesis 3,16) Sarah was promised to be spared that curse which other women are afflicted with. This may be the meaning of Isaiah 29,22 אשר פדה את אברהם, "who has redeemed Avraham i.e. from the painful experience associated with raising children. (Sanhedrin 19)